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Tuesday, 22 December 2015

Vastum - ‘Hole Below’ (Album Review)

By:
Daniel Jackson

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 6/11/2015

Label: 20 Buck Spin

Each member plays so well into all of the others’ strengths that the
album feels more like one gigantic being, lurching and smashing in unified
movement, rather than five separate pieces trying their best to come together.

Hole Below’ CD//LP//CS//DD track listing:

1.
Sodomitic Malevolence

2.
Amniosis

3.
In Sickness And In Death

4.
Intrusions

5.
Hole Below (A Dream Of Ritual Abuse)

6.
Empty Breast

Vastum is:

Daniel
Butler | Vocals

Leila
Abdul-Rauf | Guitar, Vocals

Shelby
Lermo | Guitar

Luca
Indrio | Bass

Adam
Perry | Drums

The Review:

As
I’m writing this, Vastum’s new album, ‘Hole Below’ has been out for over a
month and the praise for it has been substantial. In the interest of telling a
complete story about my feelings toward the album, I didn’t really get it at
first. My initial thoughts were essentially that it sounded fantastic
recording-wise, but that the production was something of a masking agent for a
very by-the-numbers death metal album. While there’s no denying that the album
is very straightforward from a compositional standpoint, that simplicity also
betrays just how clever this album is.

It
took a number of listens to really sink in, to the point that when I first
tried writing about the album, I was ready to work from the standpoint that
some of my fellow metal writers had been dazzled by what is an unquestionably
fantastic production job. The truth of it is that I was simply late to the
dance in terms of understanding just how strong these songs really are. Vastum seem to have graduated from the Bolt Thrower school of knowing that it can be just as
effective making each and every note count as it can be when working with a
much more technical formula.

If
I have any complaint about the album now, it’s that I wish there was more dark,
melodic guitar leads like the one woven throughout the album’s closing song “Empty Breast”. Even there, the leads
are deceptively simple, but they’re insanely satisfying from a song writing
standpoint. It’s one of many reasons I’m glad I stopped writing that first
draft, knowing now that I would have regretted being so negative about an album
that didn’t deserve it. Indeed, the whole of the album is absolutely
devastating, sonically, and the album’s reserved tempo is one of its strengths
rather than a liability. That refusal to go full speed ahead in the drumming
allows the songs breathing room rhythmically, and Adam Perry’s loose, natural
style behind the kit has a lot to do with why ‘Hole Below’ is such a massive success.

In
truth, Vastum is a band with a musical chemistry
that very few death metal bands possess. Each member plays so well into all of
the others’ strengths that the album feels more like one gigantic being,
lurching and smashing in unified movement, rather than five separate pieces
trying their best to come together. ‘Hole
Below’ is showing up on a lot of year end lists, and I finally get why that
is. If you’ve tried this album already and found yourself wondering what the
hype was all about. Do yourself a favor and give it more time. I’m happy that I
did.

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